“This promise is homegrown. This promise is consistent with treasured community values. It assumes sustainability, not overnight, but over time. It assumes universal, voluntary accessibility — a long phrase but what it means is that every parent and every child in our community who wants access will be able to afford it.

“It is grounded in community ownership, community focus, community control and community funding.

“Every child — a community value — and we’ll do it our way, the Springfield way.”

— Todd Parnell,Every Child Promise

When the wheels were set in motion a year ago to form the Every Child Promise for Springfield, the vision was to create a movement — not just another project.

For years, Springfield’s educators, social service agencies and child advocates have worked tirelessly to combat systemic, multilayered challenges facing children and robbing our future.

The issues are complex, with underlying cultural factors, as well as mistrust of government and an aversion to new taxes, contributed to the community’s inability to develop and implement comprehensive, sustainable solutions.

But something was changing: Strong, collaborative leaders were in place in key institutions and a growing public awareness — in part due to the News-Leader’s Every Child project — led community leaders to believe the time to act was now.

That all came to fruition Tuesday with the release of an ambitious, 10-year strategic plan with a simple goal: to help every child be ready to learn.

The coming-out event at First Baptist Church had the flavor of an old-fashioned tent revival, mixed with a businesslike discussion of the return on investment and a genuine outpouring of love that left 200-plus attendees convinced, at least for a day, that in Springfield, anything was possible.

“This is when the real work and real commitment begins,” said Todd Parnell, a former banker and Drury University president who co-chaired the Promise Board with his wife, Betty, a former educator.

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The Promise — under the direction of Child Advocate Dana Carroll — leaps into action with four pilot projects, one of which actually started earlier this month.

Funding from private sources, businesses and individuals, will provide up to $1.2 million over the next three years to get started. The idea is to prove the case — to prove what works and make changes to things that don’t — in order to build support for an eventual request for sustainable funding by the community.

Ideas for the pilot projects grew out of five citizen committees that involved more than 150 volunteers, including key leaders from business, faith and education.

Initial pilots will expand home visitation programs for parents, along the lines of Parents As Teachers, plus provide scholarships for children to afford high-quality preschool programs. Convoy of Hope will help with a pilot to develop and distribute nutritional food to children in families unsure where to get their next meal.

As more funding is identified, additional pilot projects will launch, such as a nurse visitation project for first-time parents and increased access to healthy food.

Importantly, the Every Child Promise Board committed to a set of clear, measurable objectives — defining what success looks like so the public can gauge progress over the next 10 years.

The most important goal: In 10 years, cut in half the number of children each year who are unprepared for kindergarten in Springfield Public Schools. Currently, one in five children — roughly 400 to 500 kids each year — are not “ready to learn” when they start kindergarten.

That adds up to a generation — 4,000 to 5,000 elementary, middle and high-school students over 10 years — who are at high risk of failing in school, leading to lifetimes of frustration and potential cost to society.

“This is a workforce development, an economic development, a humanitarian and a quality of life promise,” Parnell said.

The Promise has delivered a plan that is long term, sustainable, measurable and accountable. It builds on existing efforts, plus fosters collaboration among faith and business communities, agencies, educators and parents.

It is based on helping families help themselves. It is voluntary.

Local focus. Local control. Local funding.

It is a uniquely Springfield way to confront the issues involving children — and deliver on a promise to make this a great place to live, where every child has the opportunity to enter school ready to learn.